In February alone Flathead National Forest officials have handed out 17 citations for illegal snowmobiling. Rangers ticketed eight people in Sondreson Meadows in the North Fork area on Feb. 3. Nine more people were ticketed won Feb. 9 in the Mission Mountain Wilderness.
“We are disappointed that some snowmobile riders are being disrespectful and irresponsible by entering areas that are closed to snowmobile traffic,” says Swan Lake District Ranger Steve Brady. If caught riding in non-motorized areas like the Bob Marshall, Great Bear or Mission Mountain wilderness, or the Jewel Basin Hiking area, riders face fines from $250 to $5,000.
The burden is on snowmobile riders to know which areas are restricted. The 2008 Over Snow Vehicle Use Maps are available at Ranger Stations, or online at http://www.fs.fed.us/r1/flathead/maps/snowmobile_index.htm.